Cucumber Tajin Salad [or Snack]

A quick, simple, and refreshing 3-ingredient cucumber tajin salad or snack made of cucumbers with tajin for a spicy, zingy, and delicious way to enjoy cucumbers year round and within just 10 minutes, too!

What is Tajin?

Tajin is the (brand) name of a seasoning blend from Mexico that combines mildly spicy dried chili with dehydrated lime to add a spicy zing to any meal (or drink). It’s very popular to add a sprinkle of tajin over sweet treats, including fresh fruit (like watermelon, mango, and papaya) and fruity popsicles. Now, though, it’s the turn of cucumber tajin (aka cucumber salad).

With just 3 ingredients and a handful of minutes to prepare, this cucumber dish is the ultimate low-effort snack or side for hot summer days. But it’s absolutely packed with flavor to boost the neutral and even sometimes bland flavor of juicy cucumber year-round for a delicious, low-effort, healthy snack.

Even better, cucumbers contain several nutrients like vitamins C and K, magnesium, manganese, potassium, and antioxidants. Everything combined makes for an ingredient that can aid blood pressure levels, blood sugar levels, digestion, and more!

Since it’s a fairly medium-level spice (made with a combination of chiles de Arbol, guajillo, and pasilla), this delicious cucumber seasoning may even impress your kids. Enjoy it at home or impress others with this delicious snack, appetizer, or side at potlucks, picnics, and BBQs!

The Ingredient List

With just three ingredients (plus optional salt), this cucumber tajin snack is ready to pull together at a moment’s notice.

• Cucumber: Use any cucumber. I prefer low-seed varieties, but any will work for this recipe.
• Lime: Use fresh lime juice and optionally add some lime zest for extra zesty flavor. Lemon juice will work in a pinch.
• Tajin: If you cannot find tajin, you could use a dried chile powder instead. However, the combination of chiles gives Tajin its signature flavor, so the flavor will vary based on what you use.

I recommend chile de Arbol (mild-medium heat). Ancho chili powder or Morita powder could also work, or even hot paprika, for a smoky, spicy flavor.

• Salt: Optional, added to taste.

What Else Could I Add to a Cucumber Salad?

The simplicity of cucumber with lime and tajin is delicious, but there are several ingredients you could experiment with for further flavor and texture.

• Strawberries or mango: For the combination of sweet and savory, add some finely diced/sliced mango or strawberries to this side dish/snack.
• Avocado: For a combination of texture, avocado will add a wonderful creaminess to the cucumber and tajin salad.
• Red onion: Thinly sliced red onion will add a robust flavor. Soak the onions in ice water for 10 minutes to reduce some of the harsh, raw flavor if desired.
• Cilantro: Minced and mixed into the tajin cucumbers.
• Olive oil: If you plan to serve this as a cucumber salad, a drizzle of olive oil will finish the dish wonderfully.
• Chamoy: Drizzle over a small amount of Chamoy (a spicy pickled fruit condiment) before serving.
• Hot salsa: Like Valentina salsa—just a few drops over the top for extra spice and flavor.

How to Make Cucumber Tajin Salad?

There are just two steps to preparing this cucumber tajin snack in minutes.

• 1) First, rinse, peel, and chop the cucumber and juice the limes.

You can cut the cucumber several ways, including spears for a snack, thin round cucumber slices, ribboned using a vegetable peeler, and even shredded, depending on your preferred texture.

• 2) In a small dish, combine the cucumbers, lime juice, tajin, and optional salt, and mix until the cucumbers are evenly coated.

3) Finally, give it a taste and adjust any elements to your liking, then enjoy!

I highly recommend serving this cucumber snack chilled, but room temperature will also work.

Top Recipe Tips and Notes

• Adjust the ingredient ratio: I.e., more or less lime or Tajin.
• Don’t discard the lime zest: You can zest the limes before juicing them and save the zest in an ice cube tray in the freezer. You could also add some to the tajin cucumbers for extra zing.
• Don’t discard the cucumber peel: You can snack on it, add it as a garnish to drinks, or even leave it on the cucumbers if preferred.
• Adjust the texture: Change how you chop the cucumber. For extra crunch (and nutrients) in the tajin cucumber salad, only peel away sections of the cucumber peel, leaving some behind.

Storage Instructions

As with any cucumber salad, it’s best to enjoy this cucumber Tajin snack/salad quickly before the cucumbers release too much liquid and become soggy.

I recommend enjoying it within a few hours for the absolute best texture, though you could store leftovers covered in the fridge for an additional day (or two, if you’re lucky).

Other Salad Recipes

• Watermelon mint salad
• Easy vegan Greek salad
• Vegan mandarin chicken ramen noodle salad
• Vegan smashed chickpea salad

If you try this easy cucumber tajin snack recipe, I’d love to know what you think in the comments below. I’d also really appreciate a recipe card rating!

Photos by Alfonso Revilla